Your safety rules outweigh employee ‘personal appearance’ rights.

Company dress codes will withstand any legal challenge if they're gender-neutral and involve a legitimate business reason. Recent example: A county prohibited its bus drivers from wearing skirts, citing the safety concerns associated with helping disabled passengers on ramp lifts. When an employee protested the policy and wore a skirt, she was suspended. She sued, claiming the policy violated her First Amendment right to free expression. A federal appeals court tossed out her case, saying the company's safety reasons were enough proof to mandate its pants-only policy stand. (Zalewska v. Sullivan County, No. 02-7099, 2nd Cir., 2003)

Tomorrow's Training:

Your employee handbook can be an invaluable organizational tool … or an employment lawsuit waiting to happen. And in recent years, Congress and state legislatures have been busy enacting laws that directly affect your employee handbook. If you haven't kept up, you could find yourself in court....Click here to find out more.